Attic Find and Spring Linens

What better way to spend the long weekend than enjoying ballet, movies & bowling with your kids?  We had a great time, and I also got to squeeze in some sprucing up in our main rooms.  The living room desk got a fresh (old) mirror on it.  I remembered (eureka!) that the mirror from my husband's bureau was in our attic.  We have a vintage pair of bureaus, and he doesn't want to use the mirror (despite how handsome he is).  Here it is in its' new setting...

I love the way the candles and statue of Madonna & Child are reflected.  The roses were a grocery store purchase today.  A bit bright for my usual light pink taste, but choices are slim this time of year.

The dining room is getting freshened up for spring as well.  Our home does not have a lot of closets, so linen storage is a challenge.  I figured these light tablecloths deserved to be seen and admired.  Just piling them on my white thrift store table really brightened up this corner.  Topping them are my paper roses from Angela Harris and a lavender sachet bag I tied together.





The spring sprucing of the dining room cupboard is a work in progress.  To be continued...

I'm joining in at Kathleen's White Wednesday to continually be amazed with what I see there from you bloggers!

Oh, and congratulations to all you talented bloggers featured in the fabulous new Flea Market Style magazine!  I am poring over my copy, full of inspiration!

Winter Hours

What can a New England girl do to while away the evening hours this long winter?
 
Sit in this white living room...

or this comfy white bedroom chair...

knitting and reading...

while dreaming of these branches...

blossoming into this...

The branches shown above were taken from a rare azalea bush in our yard.  I captured their blossoms in photos last spring. 

Right now I'm reflecting on and looking forward to spring awakenings, while freshening up our space...

 Hope to see you at White Wednesday in the meantime. 

White, Lavender and Knighthood

Hello fellow white lovers!  Thought I'd share a few random photos of white around our home this week as I link to Kathleen's White Wednesday.  I recently bought some lavender buds from Ebay for filling sachets, and decided to also purchase a bunch of lavender stems.  They perk the house up while we're waiting for spring. 

The article in the recent Somerset Life by Alice Wingerden inspired me to make some cone sachets with  fabric scraps on hand.

A recent order from PetiteMichelleLouise provided the lovely ribbons on the sachet.

This peaceful spot in our living room is a cozy place to sit, with it's proximity to the fireplace and pillow cover made from an old winter sweater:

Here's a favorite end table, found at an antique mall 12 years ago and perfectly shabby chic ever since.  I only had to add glass knobs to enhance its' charm.  Housing my collection of catalogs and magazines (and various misplaced toys) makes it functional, too. 

Our son loves anything to do with Knights.  He pores over books instructing one how to become a Knight, and loves to practice 'Defending the Faith'!  I thought these tags (also from PetiteMichelleLouise) would be perfect for him.  He's already signed the back of one with his gallant name.  Another tag is hung from this white tureen, reminding us of that noble era:

More Valentine tags...the lovely Marie Antoinette tag on the left was made by Rosemary of Ozma of Odds, included in a purchase of one of her gorgeous paper ex-voto lockets. 

I made the other two simple tags for Valentine's day:

Let's toast to romance, heraldry and nobility!  (and lavender!)

Vintage in the Kitchen

Happy Vintage Inspiration Friday!  Thought I'd share glimpses into my kitchen.  I hesitate to show its' current state, since I plan to make changes this spring.  Think of these as the 'before' photos.  The style of this room is French Farmhouse, with vintage chairs, black & white tile, and plenty of baskets.
Linking to Debra's great party...see you there!

Here's our kitchen table, used for breakfast.  The 2 vintage black chairs were free from my Mom's neighbor (via trash day).  They will be painted white soon.  The enamel pitcher and bowl came from flea markets, as well as the old white tablecloth.  I sewed the topper tablecloth out of a pretty blue toile fabric, and used vintage fabric from Brimfield Flea Market to cover the chair seats. 

My favorite platter on the shelves with a tiny lavender sachet.

A chippy cone holding some white embroidered napkins, hanging next to a window.  I don't dare show you the accumulated snow outside that window (another 11 inches today!).

Dreaming of spring...

White... With a Touch of Pink

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I'm sure many of you are up to some crafting and planning for St. Valentine's day.  I love this holiday because it brings romance to light, while keeping my mind off the cold and snow. 
White is my favorite color for decorating, as it is for many of you.  It is timeless, classic and romantic, and allows the addition of accent colors as the seasons and holidays change.  Right now...a subtle touch of pink.
Thought I'd share some touches of pink in our home against a romantic white background.  I'll enjoy visiting your homes while linking to White Wednesday,  Show and Tell Friday and Pink Saturday this week.
 
A paper scripted rosette, in pale pink, made by Angela Harris from her Etsy store:

    A candy box I covered with scrapbook papers, doily hearts and crochet trim:

A Valentine for my valentine:

Some tags showcasing my favorite accent colors against white, along with a glittered heart in a tarnished bowl.  Hope this cherub on the right doesn't have a 'heavy' heart:



These sola shell flowers from a craft website are so pretty and can be used year-long for decorating:

How are you bringing romance into your homes?



White (Wedding) Wednesday

As I finished restoring our living room to a peaceful winter environment, I was struck by how much the winter white reminded me of a wedding.  That inspired me to include a few romantic touches into the room.  I topped this white buffet with an old lace runner and a sparkly white 'MAISON' banner across the vintage barn window.  The Victorian candlesticks on the right are antiques we received as a wedding gift.  

I stamped an 'S' and 'B' for our initials, as well as our wedding day (9/13) on a tag, and included some Parisian inspired stamped tags as well.  We honeymooned in Paris and Versailles over 7 years ago, and would love to return someday.  The 'La Maison du Roy'  is a menu from one of the incredible restaurants where we dined. 

I kept these white sparkly pointsettias around after using them in our Christmas decor.  They were also reminiscent of romantic wedding whites, so I displayed them in vintage silver containers next to our wedding portrait. 

I leaned some honeymoon photos and a Parisian postcard nearby.  Now this shelf holds fond memories of the start of our blessed marriage. 

I guess St. Valentine season is in the air!  Hope you're enjoying the romance of it, too.
I'm linking to White Wednesday to see more romance...

Winter Whites

It's 28 degrees, the trees are bare, snow on the ground...why not spend time indoors echoing the tranquil beauty I view outside?  I see that a lot of you are nesting and giving your homes a fresh start in January.  I love visiting your blogs! Here are some pics of the transformation here in my abode.
Whites in my dining room cabinet (from Christmas wonderland to creamy white):

I gave Father Time a prominent position to oversee the New Year (after his transformation described here):

After the big ole' blizzard we had last week, there were scattered sticks in our front yard.  May as well put them to use:

I kept a few snowflake ornaments around from Christmas, and just acquired this cute regal bird and nest from Elizabeth's Embellishments:

These marble accents from the craft store have a nice wintery sheen to them:

My treasured gold mirror belonged to Memeire Rose, one of this blog's namesakes:

Lastly, a new winter 'wreath' for my salvaged basement door.  I was inspired by the new Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Victoria magazine to put this wreath together. 



I'm linking to several parties this week: White Wednesday, Vintage Inspiration Friday, Feathered Nest Friday and Show and Tell Friday.  Looking forward to seeing you there!